Samuel Cowley was born in 1805 in County Down, Ireland (or perhaps Bainbridge, according to a document from Peggy H. Walkers. Possibly the Banbridge on the River Ban 20 miles SSW of Belfast.) In 1831 he and Jane emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA. They were engaged in farming. Eventually they purchased a summer home, located in Belsano, Cambridge County, PA. It had a large house on some acres of land, and it was the custom of that family to spend every summer there. Every child could invite a friend to go with them. Samuel died in 1870.

Jane Thompson
1805-1895

Jane Thompson was born in 1805 in County Down, Ireland. She and Samuel emigrated to the U.S. in 1831. Jane died in 1895. She and Samuel had the following children:

David, 1830-1886(the father of Dr. Cowley) Became Will's executor when he died. Named his older son after William. After Will died, David sold Will's stock to Miller for $8500, thus losing his chance to be involved in the Carnegie enterprises. However, Carnegie usually bought any such interests for himself.

William(associated with Andrew Carnigie and others in railroad work; died in the Civil War) Was a boyhood friend of Andrew Carnegie. The two played together when Andrew was living in the Hogan house at 332 Rebecca Street. William died of typhoid fever contacted on the field of Fredericksburg during the Civil War. He was one of Carnegie's "Original Six" boyhood friends (Andrew Carnegie, William Cowley, James A. Wilson, James Smith, John Phipps, and Tom N. Miller), some of whom later became partners in the steel business. Will Cowley was on the road to being one of them when he went off to the Civil War. Those six boys took long walks in the country together, met at each other's homes, and some of them belonged to a singing class conducted by Ludwig Koethen, the lawyer, choir-master, and assistant pastor of the Swedenbogian Church, of which the Carnegies were members. Henry Phipps, being four years younger, belonged to another group, which included Tom Carnegie, Henry W. Oliver, and Robert Pitcairn.

Alexander(of Florida, who was for many years professor of penmanship in Iron City College)

Samuel, __-1895(who was connected with the firm of Beymer, Bauman & Co.; drowned in 1895)

John(Was a plumber who lived at East End Pittsburgh. Eventually became quite wealthy, though lost $8000 in a building-and-loan failure.)

Mrs. Margret Hamilton, __-1884(who was the wife of an artist in Philadelphia)

Mrs Eliza Tetedoux(whose husband was a teacher of voice culture and leader of the Gounod Musical Club for several years)